


Never Leave Affection Unanswered

by AdessoFaSilenzio



Category: Eerie Crests (Webcomic)
Genre: Christmas, Homelessness, M/M, Orphans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 12:18:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13146558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdessoFaSilenzio/pseuds/AdessoFaSilenzio
Summary: Alex and Ben celebrate their first Christmas after running away. AU.





	Never Leave Affection Unanswered

**Author's Note:**

> Merry belated Christmas to littlestpersimmon, one of my best friends and someone for whom I care deeply. Thank you for putting up with me and for giving me the lines I needed to write this. I could never do your characters justice, but I’ll try just the same.
> 
> Happy Holidays everyone! I hope this story translates well without the background of the AU Bell and I once discussed. Maybe someday I’ll elaborate upon the idea, and maybe I won’t. Guess we’ll all just have to see!

“The coat is for now. The wine is for New Year.” They hadn’t been able to afford gifts for one another, but that hadn’t stopped Alex from presenting Ben with a large, downy bundle wrapped in twine. 

It was their first Christmas officially together, and the dumpster smelled like rotting ham and old diapers. They had laid a few thin layers of old towels and bedsheets stolen straight off the line over their mattress of garbage. Outside it was freezing, and they would most likely have a terrible time prying the lid open in the morning what with the wet snow falling, but they were together with no fence between them, and in Alex’s eyes, that was enough.

The jacket in question had been pilfered from a Marshals, with an original tag of $350 and a sale tag of $90. A dark brown parka with faux fur on the collar, Alex had tried it on in the fitting room and walked right out as though the baggy article had been on his shoulders the entire time. It was so warm... it felt luxurious against his skin, soft and smooth and professionally stitched in some Swedish factory somewhere, and it was definitely meant for skiers or mountain hikers or something. Ben had lofty dreams to travel every nook and cranny of the world, and this coat would keep him cozy in the colder corners. 

The bottle of wine was a cheap red that had fit into one of the coat pockets with barely more than a small bump to show. It was a small gesture, but Alex had yearned so badly for the “New Years kiss” moment over glasses of champagne that he’d seen in old romance movies. His sticky fingers had pilfered the bottle before he really knew what he was doing.

Of course, despite his words, Ben was already using his lighter to heat the neck of the bottle and worm out the cork.

At Alex’s indignant look, he explained “I’ll get us a bottle of the real bubbly this week. It’s Christmas; we deserve to break into this now.” He had already pulled the sleeves of the coat over his arms, nuzzling into the fur hood and humming to himself before pulling the bottle from the pocket. Alex hardy blamed him - he’d already pulled on the new boots Ben had lifted, toes enveloped in warm, dry socks and even warmer shoes. It had felt like heaven compared to the broken pair he’d been sporting before.

Ben got the bottle open with a pop, shot a grin to Alex across the few inches between them, and took a swig. They didn’t have cups, but honestly, they couldn’t be picky when they lived in a dumpster. The bottle was passed to Alex from one hand as the other grabbed his sweater by the rib area and yanked him closer. He found himself wrapped in the warm embrace that was Ben and his wondrous down coat, with wine-sour breath in his ear. “I love you.” Ben whispered as Alex took a shot of the wine, dry and bitter. It was honestly pretty gross, but he wouldn’t complain. Living in the dumpster and drinking nasty wine with Ben was so much better than where he’d been before. Alex elected not to answer just yet, choosing instead to take another sip and pass the bottle back.

Fingers rifled slowly through his hair as Ben drank from the bottle and pressed moist kisses to his jaw and ear. It still felt so new and unusual, this bob of red that stopped short just below his chin - this epitome of his new life free from the orphanage. Wrapped in the heat of Ben’s jacket and arms, smelling of fermented grapes and garbage, Alex mused that there was nowhere he would rather be.

“I love you, Alex.” Ben repeated in a soft but insistent voice. They’d told each other countless times before, but every time Ben had refused to settle until Alex said it back. Alex himself did the same. They had made a pact on the train they’d taken just after running away: never leave affection unanswered. They were in this together, no matter what happened. They were young and scared and facing an entire world of unknown challenges, but most of all they were there with each other. Alex took the bottle and drank long and slow. “I love you, too.” He mumbled, tilting his head for another kiss on his neck. Dark eyes were trained on his boots. The weather was cold, but here, he was warm. “Do you like the jacket?”

Ben wasted no time in responding. “I love it.” He tightened his grip on his boyfriend-not-boyfriend as though the extra pressure would convey his happiness. “One up me again, Adams, and you’re gonna get it.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at the empty threat. They had both missed any form of lunch or dinner, and the already quarter-empty bottle of wine was beginning to blur his cold, and fear, and vision. “Yeah?” He asked in challenge. “What exactly is it I’m gonna get?”

After a moment of silence, Ben’s gentle voice answered. “A big bed with a down comforter. You think this jacket is soft?” A muted chuckle, and “you have no idea. You’re gonna get a cloud of a blanket, and a puppy at your feet.” As Ben spoke the words, he swore to himself that he would bring them to fruition. He would work his fingers to the bone until they made it - do whatever job it took until they could afford whatever they wanted. “A commercial kitchen so you can write a cookbook and collect royalties forever. And a gigantic house overlooking the city.” He kissed Alex’s cheek wetly. “Las Vegas, baby. You and me.” Taking another swig, Ben dropped his cheek to Alex’s shoulder. “I’ll get a show and you’ll open a restaurant, and we’ll be big stars. That’s what you’re gonna get, Alex Adams. A life with me. A beautiful one.”

Alex suspected Ben was already a little drunk and bit back the urge to tease him for it, but he did take bottle from Ben’s fingers and set it to their side. “That’s the weakest threat I’ve ever heard.” He joked around the lump that had formed in his throat. “You’re not supposed to threaten nice things, dummy.”

“It’s not a threat. It’s a promise. We’re gonna get there someday, Alex. It’ll suck for a while, but we’ll get there.”

Ben was starting to fall asleep, he could tell by how his words slurred into one another. Carefully, Alex leaned back against Ben’s chest, pushing them so they were propped up against the side of their dumpster-home. Ben sleepily adjusted his arms around Alex so he couldn’t pull away. “Merry Christmas, babe.” He murmured, fingers slipping inside the unzipped coat to run along Alex’s side.

“Merry Christmas.” Alex answered, as he always would.


End file.
